Gotta Be You
by TheWinterMe
Summary: TMNT 2k12 'verse. Raphael and April enjoy the quite moments together, even after their little fights and miscommunication. After years of getting closer, both are willing to embrace their differences to distinguish similarities in order to be happy with one another. Raphril.
1. Scars

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

 _Just a futuristic raphril moment. If there are other scenes that pop up in my head, I might post more, or if any inspiration comes my way._ _Let's also say that Raphael and April are together, and that the original concept of Raphael crushing on April was real._

* * *

April frowned when she furiously dropped her bag onto the floor of her bedroom, slamming the door shut. Wiping the back of her hand across her left cheek, she made her way to the bed while removing her slip-on shoes. Raphael wasn't far behind when he shoved the door open and stepping into the room. He suspected that she was being a bit abnormal by all her groaning and scowling since they left the lair after their halted training. Glancing at the way she lazily took off her yellow shirt, only leaving a tank top on, his gaze followed as she climbed into bed. Raphael only set aside his weapons before joining her. The bed creaked as he sat, yet laid down to embrace her from behind, nuzzling his face against the back of her neck and breathing in the brackish and slight lavender scent of her warm skin.

"You shouldn't worry too much about me," April mumbled after a long silence. "I'm not that weak girl you met five years ago." He snickered at the seriousness of her tone, but couldn't disagree with her. She had grown, not only physically, but mentally as well – and he was proud of that. His right hand traveled from her shoulder, down to her arm, until reaching the elastic bound of her cotton shorts. His fingers pinched the fabric, tempted to dig underneath to touch more of the tender skin, but ultimately reached forward to find her tiny hand.

"I know, I know." Raphael sighed as his other arm slipped under, so she could rest against him. The hand snaked around for his fingertips to caress her forehead, only to push away the red strands that fell from her lose pony-tail. His brows creased when feeling the sharp thin indent on her left cheek, not elated about the new marking. "It's just that…I don't like seeing you like this." April shifted at his response and sat up, to turn around and face him.

"Well, you should've thought about that before, Raph." She playfully reached out to remove his red tattered mask away from his face, making sure that his eyes could not hide behind the material. "Besides, I too don't like it when you get unnecessarily hurt." He grinned, but complied. He knew when she was right. Staring into her cerulean irises, he stiffly smiled before reaching out to grab and situate her on top of him. April giggled, prior to moving around until she was comfortable against his hard plastron. Peering down at him, she noticed that Raphael had changed over the years. He wasn't that brooding turtle she always knew. Raphael had certainly grown to be a lovable, protective, and caring guy. If she didn't know any better, she considered him to be the nicest out of his brothers. It just took years to get him out of that bubble, though he would never admit of breaking free. His intimidating exterior would always be upfront among strangers and acquaintances. Within the family, he can be himself – to an extent.

While thinking, April scanned his rigid body, skimming at the rippling muscles of his arms, and at the few veins popping out from his forearms. Over the years, he had gotten bulkier, but nothing outrageous. Still, in comparison from his fifteen year old self, he was huge. His shell had shrunken closer to his body, seeming to fit more with his stature. Ultimately, he grew taller than her, which secretly made her blush at the thought of him bending down to place a gentle peck on the lips while no one notices. The embraces he provided were to melt for. Strong arms wrapping around her protectively, hands caressing her trembling skin, and the soft breathing on her neck was something she would never grow tired of. Raphael had closed his eyes, leaving her a bit disappointed of not being able to stare at his piercing green irises that she always found alluring, even when they were just friends.

"Raph?" April whispered, not really wanting him to awaken from his rest. Training was hard for them both, but a little moment together would always perk him up. She nudged him slightly on his broad shoulder, sensing the rough texture beneath her dainty fingertips.

"Hmm?" the redhead only rolled her eyes, though smirked while leaning forward, and biting her bottom lip as she tried to keep in the giggles that were ready to burst out.

"You're such a-" April began, in a honeyed voice, against his ear. The corner of his mouth rose at the tone she utilized, causing him to sink further into the mattress to relax at her touches and callings. "Big, strong-" The humanoid turtle only smiled, wanting her to continue. "Powerful and courageous…" she whispered out. Raphael brought his three-fingered hand, which rested on the bed, to her hip, fingers pulling down at the elastic of her shorts. Soon, she gently nipped his jaw before pulling away, goosebumps forming on his thigh which her hand leaned on. "…Muscular marshmallow." Instantly, his green eyes appeared before her, showing a surprised and flustered look. April only laughed as she slid down while he hoisted.

Raphael wasn't fond of people laughing at him, yet, when April did it, he couldn't keep an angered expression. Knowing the only way to make her stop, he gently grabbed her face, overlarge hands cupping her cheeks, quickly quieting her. She felt her heart beat race as he inched closer, but she always seemed to feel that way whenever he got intimately close. Shutting her eyes, she waited for his lips to land. Finally, his mouth reached hers, slowly moving into a rhythm that made her swoon all over again, as she forgot as to why she was mad in the first place. Eyes closed, hands reaching to each other's skin, and gentle movements to exhibit their needs were the minimum of their wanting togetherness. He surprisingly had a talent for that, making her overlook everything before his kisses. Moments later, he pulled away, smiling at her flushed demeanor. April just couldn't get used to that sweet side of him. She felt – like a girl around him; a girl that had a buff guy around to protect her from anything that may come. His thick finger ran across her new scar, feeling the roughness that was similar to his own blemishes that covered his body from the years of fighting.

"Just be careful, alright?" April nodded, barely listening when he used that soft gruff tone she had the pleasure of hearing behind closed doors. Wrapping her arms around him, she pushed him back on the bed, before resting her head against his abrasion covered plastron. April tiredly traced his lightning bolt outline prior to closing her eyes and listening in to the soothing beating of his heart.


	2. Drawings

Raphael stepped through the unlocked window, and tried flicking the lights on. When nothing worked, he figured it was another blackout. The ninja noticed that her apartment was still a mess, however, he didn't criticize, since his room was just as disorganized. Pressing his lips together, he made his way around the mess of scattered books and coats towards the kitchen. Raphael actually didn't want to bother her, for she always seemed busy, with work and all, but he figured she would be free that late evening. Placing his carry-on and weaponry on the kitchen counter, he stealthily walked over to her bedroom while taking off his belt and his padding. Carefully pushing the door open, he spotted her resting on the bed, eyes closed, heavily sleeping while hugging a body pillow. Raphael smiled, prior to getting closer. He noticed the few strands of red locks covering her eyes, and the covers not being able to fully conceal her bare thighs.

"Hey," he unintentionally blurted out, causing April to stir and flutter her eyes open. She noticed that Raphael seemed fatigued, and patted the spot beside her as she tiredly smiled at him. Not having enough sleep for the past few days made him groggy and grouchy, so a quick nap seemed pleasant at the moment. Taking his mask off, she moved aside, sinking back down as he joined her. April didn't necessarily needed to sleep, she only wanted Raphael to get some rest, and this was the only way for him to do so. Chuckling silently, she watched him as the turtle beside her spread his legs apart, one dangling off the edge, as the other grazed her leg. One arm was over his head, and the other remained on top of his plastron. His bottom lip slipped out, while a slight crease developed between his brow ridges. April found it cute when he slept that way. Normally, he would snuggle up to her and run his hand over her back, gently soothing her. That night, he was too tired to do anything. After a few minutes of observing him, she closed her eyes and let the sleep invite her.

April grew restless, sleep leaving her, growing anxious to leave the bed without disturbing him. Quietly, she removed the covers away, quickly glancing at him before standing up and leaving the room. Yawning, the redhead made her way towards the kitchen, to grab a small snack. She stopped, when noticing a brown bag on the counter. Figuring it was Raphael's, April unlatched the drawstring to peek inside. She smiled when spotting the thick notebook. Pulling it out, she flipped over the pages until stopping on a particular spot.

Raphael stretched out his taut muscles before sighing in content. A nice relaxing day was just what he needed after the intense training he and his brothers had to endure early that morning. He was relaxing under a big oak tree, behind the O'Neil farmhouse, as the sun timidly shown upon them. April sat next to him, with a notebook and pencil in hand. The relaxed turtle sensed the cool breeze that passed by, making him shiver just slightly. His hands rested on his stomach while his eyes remained closed, listening to April scribbling on the paper. As his curiosity began to grow, he peeked over her shoulder. The corners of his mouth lifted when his eyes locked on the drawing. April hadn't noticed that her boyfriend was watching her, and continued away to finish the shading. She then felt some weight on her shoulder, which made her halt the pencil from further movement. Slightly turning her head towards him, she saw his stiff smile peering at her drawing. He always enjoyed the doodles and artwork she created from time to time. His large hand reached over to grab the notebook to take a closer look. April's cheeks reddened, as she thought he was sleeping all this time, and didn't really want to show him the unfinished sketch. Flicking her gaze over to him, she caught his grin as he admired the drawing.

"What's this?" His low gruff voice lingered in her ears, tiny goosebumps forming. The redhead shyly gave her attention to him. His cocky stare only increased when he finally turned to look at her.

"What do you mean? It's just you." Biting his lower lip, he made a grab for the pencil that remained in her hand. She gasped when he snatched it. "Wait, don't ruin it!" He scoffed at her.

"Ruin it? Hey, I can draw pretty well you know." His concentration grew, gripping the wooden pencil between his large fingers, running it across the white paper. Tucking her red locks behind her ear, she leaned forward, small hand latching to his broad shoulder. April blinked as he shifted, so she couldn't see his doodle. Frowning, she sat upright while crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm kidding, you can look if you want." Smiling, his girlfriend inched closer, feeling the warmth of his reptilian skin against her shoulder. Mentally squealing, she gawked at the drawing he did in just seconds. The collaboration of their drawings made her giggle. She watched as he put the finishing touches, and cockily grinned when removing the pencil away. April grabbed the notebook and laughed.

"Aw, this is cute Raph, but…" He frowned.

"But what?" Her eyes peeked from the sketched page.

"My butt isn't that big." He only chuckled, leaning closer to look at the drawing.

"Oh," he whispered, as his eyes glanced behind her. "I disagree."

April placed the notebook on the counter, and turned to grab something to drink, but knocked over his sais on the tile floor. She cringed at the loud metal noise, knowing that he would soon barge into the room. Quickly as she predicted, Raphael rushed in, eyes barely open.

"What happened?!" April crouched down to pick up the pair of weapons before answering.

"Nothing. I was just playing around." Unintentionally stomping over, he grabbed the sais from her hands before inspecting her.

"You alright?"

"Yeah. No harm done." After scanning for scrapes, he nodded and placed the weapons in the bag. "Why'd you visit? Not that I mind. Just curious." Raphael noted the book on the counter top. "Did you want to do some drawings, again?"

"No use if there's no light." April shrugged.

"Yeah, but I have flashlights and candles." He stared at the notebook that was filled with drawings for a while, but shook his head.

"Maybe next time, Baby doll." April blushed at the nickname, a hand lifting to twirl a piece of hair with her finger. Raphael stepped closer, eyeing at the blue irises with his emerald ones, grabbing her by the waist, and placing her on the counter. He was still taller than her even from that angle. Raphael was glancing down, tiredly smiling before situating his enormous hands on the curve of her waist. She mewled when his lips sneaked their way to her neck, making her giggle and press her right hand on his bicep. Spreading her knees apart, she hugged her legs around his middle, inviting more of the gentle caresses and kisses. He gently tilted her head up, to lock lips, as he began to hike up her shirt to bury his hands underneath. Her fingers grasped the upper edge of his plastron when he moved to tease her collarbone. Leaning to nuzzle her cheek against his, she heard him lowly growl as soon as her nails grazed his carapace. Suddenly, the lights came on, slowly making them pull away from each other, though still holding onto one another.

"Well, now the lights are back on," April murmured. "Now what?" Raphael smirked prior picking her up, making her stand.

"Maybe we could draw…a little something-something," he cheekily whispered against her ear while trailing a digit across her lips. "If you want."


End file.
